Gossima: The Culture of Ping Pong

Ma Lin

MA Lin celebrates victory over Timo Boll
2004 World Team Table Tennis Championships
Photo courtesy of the ITTF

Full name:  Ma Lin (simplified Chinese: 马琳; traditional Chinese: 馬琳)
Nationality:  Chinese
Grip:  Pen hold
Blade:  Yasaka Ma Lin Extra Offensive Pen hold
Rubber (backhand):  Butterfly Bryce/Bryce Speed
Rubber (forehand):  DHS Skyline 2
Playing Style:  Offensive–consistent forehand loop; known for powerful third ball attacks. Ma Lin uses a reverse pen hold backhand, using the underside of the blade. While the reverse pen hold backhand is becoming more popular, the reverse backhand is somewhat unusual for a pen hold player.

Come Along, Ping Pong

This weekend, Come Along, Ping Pong invites anyone in London to play on tables designed by artists and designers especially for the Barbican art gallery. The event is produced in collaboration with Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club.  The Workinng Men's Club hold both racy and refined weekly events including ping pong. Come Along, Ping Pong is part of the art events of Do Something Different and East.

Art Star Ping Pong

Art-Star Ping-Pong at the BND Galleria from Milan at Arte Fiera 2009 by The Blue Noses.

As far as I know, none of the artists in Blue Noses’ installations actually play or played ping pong, but intriguing artwork all the same.

Missouri Winter Games 2010

If you live in the the Springfield, Missouri area or are planing on traveling to Missouri this coming Saturday, March 6, make sure to check out the Missouri Winter Games 2010 Open.

HardBat Classic 2010?

Rumor has it that the Hardbat Classic 2010 will be at the convention center in South Beach, Miami, Florida. The first annual Hardbat Classic took place from June 26 to 28, 2009 at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, California. Jack Baker is the reigning champion and took home a prize of $100,000. If the second annual Hardbat Classic is indeed in Florida, I imagine it will take place in the fall. To read my entry on the first Hardbat Classic, click here. When I get more information about the event and preliminary competition across the country, I'll be sure to post it, so check back regularly. Get out your hardbat paddle and start practicing--maybe you could be the next $100,000 winner!

NYTTF February Open Results

Results
NYTTF February Table Tennis Open 
February 7, 2010
New York, NY
USATT Sanctioned Tournament

He'll Be Back - Stronger, Faster, Smarter - TOPIO

photo from TOSY

"The machines rose from the ashes of the nuclear fire..., but the final battle would not be fought in the future. It would be fought here, in our present."

Happy Chinese New Year!

A huge Chinese New Year celebration took place last weekend at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. Li Ning, a leading Chinese sporting goods apparel company, sponsored the event, which included ping pong.

Ping

Photo by Max Braun
Some rights reserved

The Table Tennis Ball Collection Part 2

I originally posted an entry about Stanislaw Schmidt's collection of table tennis balls back in September. The post can be found here. His collection includes over 1,000 unique table tennis balls. You can see the collection of balls at the Web site ttballe.org.  The balls are categorized by rating, size, ball color, stamp color and design, number of stars, country of origin, and information about the producer. If you are a collector, this is an incredible resource. He exchanges balls; just look for the exchange link under the individual balls. 

Here are more my favorites: a 38mm Schildköt ball from Germany; a 38mm Rabbit ball, country unknown; and a Giant Dragon 40mm ball from China.

                 

Images © Stanislaw Schmidt 2006-2009